Three weeks of travel. Jun had been walking within the Bleak Forests with her Ancestor and Shui. Trudging along through bushes and trees. Dodging any thick foliage, boulders, and destroyed areas they couldn't pass.

Forcefully heading in the direction the compass, she had been given, pointed.

Not a moment of unnecessary rest. Drilling and training every single day since she had gushed and explained about her wonderful idea to keep their identity hidden. Something they would not have to deal with for a few months at minimum, though it was wise to make sure they had the story down and consistent.

Whomp!

Whomp!

Jun focused on the bowel of rice before her. Allowing herself to continue her trail of thought.

Quite frankly, she did not want to watch her master deal with any fallout if curious individuals dug too deep into their identity. People eavesdropping and nosying into matters that did not concern them happened often. Hu Shui was one of them too.

It would only be a disaster if anything like that occurred.

Whomp!

Whomp!

Especially after what she'd seen so far from her Ancestor. Never before had she seen him practice. All his encounters and any fight tended to end before she could catch any movement or feel any Qi at all. Quicker than a second of time. Or ancient monsters that dominated the world would bow and scrape before him, begging for their lives.

She still remembered the old bounty hunter that radiated more Qi than she could have produced in an entire year. YagWan's disciples were also extremely powerful. Only the fact that her sword carried pressure that equated to a domain made the field of battle even for them.

Allowing her to beat him through attrition rather than her own greater strength.

That same pseudo domain provided her the strength to pierce through Shao Yating's liquid Qi. Carving his neck and eventually cutting deeply into his palm. Even with his attempt to defend himself. Trying his best to make a show of crushing her in the process of doing so as well. Jun was grateful the fool was so haughty.

Jun took a bite of the rice. Enjoying the sudden burst of Qi that flooded her meridians and rushed into her core.

She had not noticed how much energy there was in every bite before. Only after breaking into the Liquid Core Stage could she have a proper perspective on what type of heavenly rice she had been eating ever since he had shown up.

Her estimation of what Yin Hu had done for them surged higher and higher.

Jun had broken into the next stage for her core. Allowing for many folds of Qi to be stored and used for greater effect. Concentrated enough that a single drop could have matched the amount of Qi she had carried within her Gaseous Core. The difference was between a tub of water and an entire lake. She couldn't imagine the amount Cai Xuefang's core held, or maybe even the Dark Gate Palace patriarch.

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If the difference between her old self and now was this vast, the next rank could only be exponentially greater.

She paused for a moment. Taking her time to cultivate the massive amount of Qi flooding in her. Wrangling with the wild beast of uncontrolled power. Squeezing and pushing, churning and gathering them into liquid drops of Qi. All like the little two page manual her ancestor had provided for her.

A heavenly—

Whomp!

World shaking—

Whomp!

Earth shattering technique that turned the grueling process of cultivating Liquid Qi for someone as new as she was into a manageable and almost effortless one. Again, pulling back no punches to provide her with something that entire sects and nations would fight for.

Sending out their most coveted sons and daughters, shakers and strongest powers, maybe even awakening their own ancient ones in order to involve themselves in a battle that would change the entire trajectory of their lives.

Whomp!

Jun had been handed the tiny manual like it wasn't that important. With a promise to give her something better eventually once she established herself and consolidated her growth and development.

Whomp!

"To imagine that I would witness this again," her weapons spirit sat next to her. Elbows on her crossed legs, hands hold her face up. "To see my master swing a blade. Even if he does not deem you two worthy of seeing his artistry and mastery."

Jun looked up. Eyes drifting from the spirit next to her back towards Yin Hu. Shui was dozing off after stuffing her face with three bowls of rice without attempting to cultivate or take advantage of the Qi each bite carried. Not that she needed to yet. That process probably started at her stage or Yin Hu would have already provided them with a tool to do exactly that.

She would not doubt him ever again.

Yin Hu stood there in the middle of the clearing. Wearing monk clothing made for battle, solid gray with a wrap around his hips to keep the tucked shirt in and the loose pants on. In his hands was his spear. Red dragons glowing on its shaft. The black blade sucking the light out of the small clearing, making the fire flicker oddly

The terrifying piece gave her goosebumps and shivers when she looked at it. Ever since she broke into this realm now.

She had been blind.

"Aren't you blessed, little tramp."

"Don't call me that." Jun whispered, her eyes unable to break from her Ancestor practicing a strange technique. Something she had never seen any spear user do. Swinging his spear like a sword, occasionally stabbing. "I'm not a tramp."

Must be an esoteric technique I can't possibly understand. I'm just not strong enough. Or smart enough. Maybe not even have enough potential to understand what could possibly be going on.

There was a lot that Jun didn't understand about her Ancestor. But it was not her place to question. She had learned that time and again, making her look like an idiot whenever she fell into doubt. It was not a good feeling.

Whomp!

Whomp!

Jun gulped. She could see the world shift around every strike. No Qi. No effort used. Nothing but unadulterated power. Maybe even hints of Dao he did not attempt to use intentionally. The world around her seemed to shiver just like Jun did whenever he struck. The darkness receded for a moment. The light breeze around them froze for a second before continuing.

Even the forest noise and background noise seemed to die down after he started his 'practice'.

She tried to imagine attempting to deflect something like that. Dodge it even. She could not do it. The spear disappeared from her vision the instant he moved. Reappearing at the end. All she knew was that he had struck, unable to figure out how or what trajectory. Except that he held it like a sword and started his swings like one too. Ending diagonally.

Again, everything she had right now was an assumption. Maybe he wasn't really swinging it like a sword as she thought he was. That this wasn't some strange technique that was beyond her understanding. Maybe he was doing everything perfect and she was simply too weak and pitiful to truly understand.

Nothing but a frog in a well.

The only thing she could do was pray for anyone that ended up facing her Ancestor's strike. It would not be a pleasant thing.

For anyone she could possibly think of, even the mythical names of stories and tales.

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